Category Archives: festival

Winterfolk XI gets underway Tonight!

Hey All, the annual Blues & Roots festival Winterfolk, gets going today, Friday the 15th, and runs thru till Sunday. The 11th edition of the festival, held at the Delta Chelsea hotel on Gerrard @ Yonge features a ton of performers to see and hear. On Friday night, there will be solo acoustic shows by Al Lerman, Jory Nash, plus the Winterfolk All Star Blues Band with Jack De Keyyzer , Al Lerman and members of Downchild.Jack De Keyzer

Al Lerman

On Saturday, there will be song circles, story telling, and a very long list of performers throughout the day and into the night. Of note, The Wanted, Cris Cuddy Acoustic Unit and also, Grainne will be doing a Live CD recording backed up by Winterfolk alumni Tony Quarrington, organizer Brian Gladstone and others.

The Wanted Richard Henderson

Chris Cuddy Acoustic Unit

Grainne

Continuing on Sunday, more Singer/Songwriter circles and discussion about the music, Jack De Keyzer returns with Danny Marks, Tony Springer, Wendall Ferguson and others for a Guitar Jamboree. The Moonshine cafe showcases their best, plus a special tribute to Phil Ochs, the Songs of Phil Ochs. The ‘Honouring Our Own’ people showcase the talent of Brent Titcomb later in the evening and also my good friend Irene Torres, brings her seductive voice to the main stage as Irene Torres & the Sugar Devils.

Tony Springer

Irene Torres

This is open to all, friends, family, kids and it is mostly free. There are a couple ticketed performances. Everything is under one roof on 4 different stages, the main stage in the Monarch’s Pub, the open Market Garden stage, the Community Club Easy Listening Room stage on the second floor and the intimate up close and personal stage on the 27th floor. I’ll be doing sound in this room on the Friday and Sunday nights and taking pix the rest of the time. Hope to see y’all there!

For all the details, times and a full list of performers, check the main web site at www.winterfolk.com

Preview : Women’s Blues Revue Nov 24th

The 26th Annual Women’s Blues Revue is coming up in a week’s time and all of my girlfriend’s ( a man can dream can’t he?) will be performing at one of Toronto’s finest musical venues,  Massey Hall.  This place has amazing sound, the acoustics are fantastic! Esp. for Da Blues!

Massey Hall

 

 

 

One of the featured vocalist’s this year is Saidah Baba Talibah, whom I had the great fortune to hear and photograph at this past summer’s Toronto Jazz Festival; she opened up for Trombone Shorty on the Mainstage at Nathan Phillips Square. That was an awesome show! Great energy. Great band.

Saidah Baba Talibah

Also featured vocalist’s for this year’s revue are, Sabrina Weeks, Angel Forrest, Kellylee Evans, Tanika Charles & Sacha Williamson.

Keeping it all together will be the Women’s Blues Revue band, directed by guitarist Donna Grantis. I’ve seen Donna play several times, from the Rex Hotel, Beaches Jazz, Toronto Jazz, the Cameron. A local guitar heroine, amazing player, always with the nice PRS guitars, which are amazing, btw.

Donna Grantis June 2012

Tix are available thru the Massey Hall box office. More info can be found at the Toronto Blues Society website.

 

Saidah Baba Talibah

Donna Grantis Nov 2010

more pix of Saidah can be found in my Toronto Jazz Festival gallery